Is Positive Dog Training Better?

Positive dog training is quickly becoming the method of choice for dog training professionals.  So what exactly is positive dog training?  It's a method of training that uses only praise and positive reinforcement, such as treats.  This method does not use negative reinforcements like spanking, scolding, or punishing your dog.  There are many benefits to this kind of dog training.  This article will explain a few of them.

One of the benefits to positive training is that you and your dog will look forward to training sessions.  If your dog is constantly scolded or punished during training, he will learn to dread your time together.  Applying positive techniques allows your dog to look forward to training, so he'll learn faster. 

You'll feel better as well using this method.  It is much easier to praise your dog when he does well than it is to scold him for bad behavior.  If you have to punish him often, you can come away from training feeling guilty.  You are more likely to stick with the training if you enjoy it. 

Another benefit is that mistakes are easier to correct with this method.  When training your dog, you're likely to make mistakes.  You might accidentally praise him for something wrong or scold him for something good.  If you praise your dog for something good, it won't have a bad effect on him.  You’ll just have to remember not to praise him next time. 

If you scold your dog for something, especially good behavior, it can have a bad effect on him.  He could become nervous or fearful that he will be punished again, so he won't be as excited to do his training.

Positive training will also help to keep your dog focused during his training sessions.  If your dog knows there is a reward waiting, he'll be more willing to pay attention to you.  It can be hard for dogs to pay attention if there is nothing to look forward to.

Perhaps the biggest reason people would rather use positive dog training is that the dog won't have a negative association with their owner.  You want to have a loving and respectful relationship with your dog.  Negative reinforcement will only hurt this relationship.  Your dog may learn to fear you instead of respect you.

These are just a few of the benefits of positive dog training.  These methods will allow you and your dog to enjoy your training time together.  If you are interested in learning more about how to use positive dog training methods, you can click on the link below.